title: On the nature of DNA hyperchromic effect.
abstract: A combined theoretical-experimental study of the hyperchromic effect as occurring in the denaturation of a double stranded polyA-polyT is presented. Our theoretical/computational procedure allows us to reproduce the essential features of the experimental spectra and to characterize those molecular interactions responsible for the changes in the UV absorbance. We found that although excitonic intrastrand interactions strongly affect the absorbance, they are almost fully maintained in the single-stranded DNA. Our data indicate that hyperchromic effect originates from the higher delocalization of the excitonic states in the denaturated DNA with respect to the double-stranded conformation.
authors.affiliation: CINECA - Roma, via dei Tizii, 6, 00185, Roma, Italy. mdabramo.res@gmail.com
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Abramo
authors.forename: Chiara Lara
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Castellazzi
authors.forename: Modesto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orozco
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amadei
mesh_terms: D061885:Chromophore-Assisted Light Inactivation; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D011789:Quantum Theory; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D013696:Temperature; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D004247:DNA